[Event "Early Summer Swiss 2021"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2021.04.06"] [Round "?"] [White "FloodA01"] [Black "Journey2FM"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C02"] [PlyCount "54"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] [TimeControl "3600+15"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Be2 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Na3 (8. Bxh6 $5 Qxb2 9. Nbd2 gxh6 $15) (8. b3 Bb4+ 9. Kf1 O-O $15 {Not fearing Bxh6 is already good for Black}) (8. Bd3 Bd7 9. Bc2 $11 {Is one of the better lines for White. Berg's repertoire covers the solid 9...Nf5 and the more "lively" 9...g5 here. (I have recently acquired a copy of "Opening Preperation" by Dvoretsky, with a whole chapter devoted to playing ...g5 in the French!}) (8. Nc3 {going the other way with the Knight is the "best" line here, making use of the c3 square which is vacant following my taking on d4.} Nf5 9. Na4 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Bb4 11. Bc3 $11) 8... Bxa3 9. bxa3 Nf5 10. Bd3 (10. Be3 {This is clearly a better try than the game - Black has nothing special here. I will claim a long term strategic advantage based on White's wrecked QS pawns but it's unclear if this alone is enough to win.}) 10... Nfxd4 11. Nxd4 (11. Bf4 {just giving up the one pawn was probably best, although one can understand White's reluctance to do this.} Qa5+ 12. Kf1 Nxf3 13. Qxf3 Qxa3 $17 {2 pawns ahead.}) 11... Qxd4 12. Be3 (12. Rb1 {Is probably better than the game but ultimately still lost.} Qc3+ 13. Qd2 Qxe5+ 14. Qe3 b6 15. O-O Qxe3 16. Bxe3 O-O $19) 12... Qc3+ $1 13. Kf1 (13. Bd2 Qxd3) (13. Qd2 Qxa1+) (13. Ke2 { was best here. My opponent was probably a little under pressure at this point. I hadn't recaptured the pawn immediately (I had intended to do so, until I realised that the above variations made life difficult for White.)}) 13... Nxe5 14. Be2 Nc4 15. Rc1 (15. Bxc4 Qxc4+ 16. Qe2 Qxe2+ 17. Kxe2 b6 $19) 15... Nxe3+ 16. fxe3 Qxe3 17. h4 O-O (17... Qf4+ 18. Bf3 O-O 19. Kf2 Bd7 20. g3 Qf5 21. Qd2 Rac8 {Is the Engine line here, given slightly better than 17...O-O}) 18. h5 { cold sweat over - I hurried to play the following move, with some tactical points.} (18. Rh3 {I had completely overlooked this option. It's still completely won for Black, but over the board I think I would have panicked and perhaps allowed some unnecessary counterplay here.} Qe4 19. Rhc3 {[%CAl Rc3c7, Rc7f7,Rc7b7] is the sort of thing I worried about.}) 18... e5 19. Qc2 (19. Qxd5 Qxc1+) (19. Rh3 Bxh3) 19... Bf5 {Still trying to deflect from the Rook's defence} 20. Qc3 {I thought for a bit here and decided 3 pawns up I could trade Queens and have a winning endgame quite simply. Had I looked a bit harder, I could have played a much nicer finish!!} Qxc3 (20... Qf4+ 21. Kg1 ( 21. Ke1 Rac8 22. Qxc8 Bxc8 23. Kd1 Qd4+ 24. Ke1 Qe3 25. Rc2 d4) 21... Rac8 22. Rf1 Qxf1+ 23. Kxf1 Rxc3) 21. Rxc3 {The rest, as they say, is a matter of technique} Rac8 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Kf2 Rc2 24. Re1 Bg4 25. Ke3 Rxe2+ 26. Rxe2 Bxe2 27. Kxe2 f5 0-1